


Huli Jing

by Author_of_Kheios



Series: Myths and Magic [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bane - freeform, Gen, M/M, Magic, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29710503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Author_of_Kheios/pseuds/Author_of_Kheios
Summary: There's so much that Zenyatta doesn't know, and misunderstandings threaten every relationship he has. His only hope lies in the Genji's long abandoned home in the spirit world. However, no human has ever survived a trip to the spirit world in one piece...[Last installment of Myths and Magic]
Relationships: Background Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada - Relationship, Genji Shimada & Hanzo Shimada, Genji Shimada/Tekhartha Zenyatta, Tekhartha Mondatta & Tekhartha Zenyatta
Series: Myths and Magic [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021474
Kudos: 16





	Huli Jing

**Author's Note:**

> WELL. took me damn long enough, huh? ^^; been suffering from one hell of a writer's block recently that's stunted progress on Abyss, Myths and Magic, and several other writing projects i've been trying to work on as well. fortunately i managed to force finish this one and another one that i'm posting later tonight/this morning, and then i'm getting right back to work on Abyss.
> 
> also, special shoutout to TheOrwangatan, who pretty much called it on what Zen's secret past is~  
> if you're reading this Orwangatan, i'm more than happy to grant you that fic i promised as a prize for anyone who could figure it out: up to 5k words for either DBH or OW, your choice!
> 
> now that the housekeeping is out of the way, enjoy this mad rush to finish the trilogy, and don't forget to kudos, comment, and subscribe for more wacky overwatch aus~

The betrayal that burns through Zenyatta's chest is a firebrand he won't be forgetting anytime soon. Nothing Mondatta can say will change that, either.

"You lied to me," Zenyatta says softly, fearing what might happen if he lets his anger grow. Genji's grip on his elbow is a grounding force, and likely the only thing keeping him from lashing out just yet.

"Zenyatta... I never lied," Mondatta says, subtly adjusting his robes as he steps closer and reaches out. Instead of moving forward to meet him, Zenyatta jolts back, toward Genji, needing the spirit's warmth to comfort him.

"A lie of omission is still a lie," he grits out. Lord Akande is watching them passively, unashamed to have been caught, and Zenyatta struggles not to let his emotion get the better of him. "Genji was right; he cannot be trusted. And neither can you."

"Zen, wait; that's not what I-" Genji tries to speak up when Zenyatta turns to leave before he does something he'll regret. Shrugging him off, Zenyatta strides quickly through the corridor, down the stairs, across the foyer, and out of the enormous double doors that guard the entrance to Lord Akande's manor.

The air is warm and muggy; a typical sunny autumn afternoon, and one he used to spend at the river not far from the monastery. He's tempted to go there now, to cool off, but he needs to vent first, and that requires a wide open space with no people to hurt or buildings to destroy.

"Zen?" Genji joins him, his approach silent in a way Zenyatta grew accustomed to surprisingly quickly.

"I doubted you," Zenyatta sighs, removing his glasses to massage the ache from the bridge of his nose. "I apologise."

"Doubted me?"

"You warned me that he had ulterior motives, that my mentor might be lying, and still I believed... I do not even know what I believed."

"Zen, I- This isn't what I expected," Genji says, shifting uneasily back and forth on his feet. If he was in his true form, Zenyatta doesn't doubt his tails would be flicking irritably. "You really should speak with your mentor; there is more to this than I could ever have guessed, and I can't watch you throw away your relationship with him over this."

"He is sleeping with Akande!" Zenyatta snaps, the all too familiar chill of bane creeping along his fingertips.

"And?" Genji asks plainly, staring at him.

"His perception is biased."

"What does it matter?" Genji persists. "You said it yourself that he wants a different path for you; he knows this is not your future. What he does with his own life shouldn't affect what you do with yours."

"He hid this from me! What else has he been hiding??"

A clink draws both of their attention to his glasses. Threads of bane creep greedily along the new crack in one lens, and a small part of Zenyatta aches; he's had these glasses for years.

They were a gift from Mondatta when the man realised Zenyatta had trouble seeing anything beyond his own reach.

Suddenly he doesn't care so much anymore, and he tosses them aside with a huff of irritation. Genji says nothing, but steps away from him to pick them up. He looks them over, and then breathes deliberately on the broken lens. Magic sparks from his thumb as he brushes it along the length of the crack, sealing it perfectly. Then he turns back to Zenyatta and gently puts the glasses back in place.

"You control bane," the spirit reminds. "It does not control you. Give him a chance to explain."

"And if I do not want to hear it?" Zenyatta asks, pulling all of the bane inside him into a tight ball and pushing that ball down firmly.

"I can't make you do anything," Genji snorts. "But in the month I've known you, you have never backed down from anything. Don't back down from this."

Everything in Zenyatta wants to leave, to find a place to unleash the buildup of bane and exhaust himself until he no longer cares. Gritting his teeth, he takes a breath and goes back the way he came with Genji trailing along behind.

Mondatta is pacing the length of Lord Akande's study when Zenyatta pushes open the door. The lord himself is lounging casually, a coiled spring ready to launch into motion at any moment, and he cocks a curious brow even as Mondatta breathes a sigh of relief.

"Explain," Zenyatta says curtly. "How did...  _ this _ happen?" He doesn't bother hiding his disdain, but for once, Mondatta doesn't scold him.

"Over time," is the immediate response. "I never meant to hide it from you, my child; I did not even have a word for it until after you left."

"For all his wisdom, your mentor is surprisingly dense," Akande says bluntly, fanning the flames of Zenyatta's anger. "I have been courting him since you learned to walk."

"Enough, Akande," Mondatta warns in a familiar reprimanding tone that makes Zenyatta's chest tighten. His mentor turns a guilty, sorrowful gaze on him, and his breath catches. "What you saw is the most that has ever happened, I swear it."

"Did you know what was happening when you sent him on the quest?" Genji asks when Zenyatta can't form a reply.

"I... suspected," Mondatta admits.

"Is that why you gave him the quest?" Genji presses. "To give yourself room to figure it out?"

"Yes. No! That-" Mondatta purses his lips, folding his hands tightly in front of him. "That may have affected my decision to send him when I did, but I had been intending to send him on that quest since I took him in."

Zenyatta could swear his heart stops beating.

"You knew I would have so much power?" he asks, stunned.

"I knew from the moment you were born," Mondatta answers quietly. "You did not need to know until it became an issue."

"What else did I not need to know?" Zenyatta demands, unable to keep the bitter edge of betrayal out of his voice.

"There is only one more thing I have kept from you," Mondatta promises, a pleading for understanding in his tone and expression. "I cannot tell you what it is; you must discover it for yourself. Who you are, what you are capable of; your past is not something I have a right to share."

Bane stings Zenyatta's fingertips again, and he curls his hands into fists to help keep it at bay. Genji squeezes his arm encouragingly, and that grounds Zenyatta enough to prevent him from exploding.

"You sent him on a journey that led to me, and he learned that his power is not something to be feared," Genji states calmly. "Where must he go now to discover his past?"

"You are the spirit I saw in my visions, no? The guardian to the Sleeping Hunter?" Mondatta guesses. Lord Akande's brows rise in interest, and Zenyatta finds himself bristling protectively.

"Genji Shimada," the spirit nods, introducing himself.

"Tekhartha Mondatta," he returns. "You will have the greatest influence on Zenyatta's future; who he becomes when he learns the truth ― when you both learn ― will depend heavily on how you react."

"You saw it?" Genji asks. There's a tightness in his voice, like he knows something. Zenyatta looks at him, concerned.

"I saw a possible future," Mondatta allows, casting a subtle glance at Lord Akande. "Unlike spirits who receive visions, mine are always fluid; there is always a chance they might be changed."

"And you didn't see this coming," Akande hums, amused. Zenyatta hates the way the lord is looking at Mondatta, but he bites his tongue, refusing to let himself be baited.

"You have been away from home for a very, very long time, Genji," Mondatta says, ignoring the lord. "It is time for you to return. The truth of Zenyatta's past will be found there."

"A truth you refuse to share," Zenyatta points out. It's harsh, but he can't stop himself. Mondatta flinches, but accepts the accusation with grace.

"Even were I to tell you, you would not believe me. Just as you had to experience for yourself the extent of your control, so must you discover the truth of your past without my help."

"It's a shame you won't let him train to be my advisor," Akande says lightly, linking his fingers together and stretching them overhead. "Two powerful advisors would make me unstoppable."

The lord is still baiting him, and he knows it; he can hear it in the man's voice, see it in his sly glance. And yet, all the more reason to leave. But not without the last word.

"Fuck you." Genji jolts sharply in surprise and Mondatta gasps.

"Zenyatta!" he scolds sternly. "Watch your language!"

"I refuse to be used by a selfish lord whose only intention is personal gain," Zenyatta scowls. "I once thought it an honour, a position to be proud of. Now I see what it truly is... Slavery."

"I'll have you know," Akande says, seeming unfazed by the proclamation, "that every person who works for me is fairly compensated for services rendered."

"You buy loyalty," Zenyatta accuses.

"There is no such thing," Akande returns shortly. "Every man has a price; loyalty and trust mean nothing in the face of money."

"One day, he will see how wretched you are," Zenyatta says fiercely, icy bane warring with burning rage, "and you will be left alone."

"Then my point will be proven and I'll be back where I began," Akande acknowledges, setting him back. "You aren't predicting anything I haven't prepared for, boy; even a ruthless man can dare to hope for better."

Those words hang; Zenyatta doesn't know what to say, and clearly neither does Mondatta. Genji eventually clears his throat and tugs gently at Zenyatta's arm.

"We should go," he says quietly. "Thank you for your and your advisor's time, Lord Akande. And thank you, Master Mondatta; my brother and the hunter send their thanks as well." Mondatta dips his head in acknowledgment, but his attention is on Zenyatta, longing.

Unable to handle the competing desires to hug him or knock him out, Zenyatta turns away without a farewell, following Genji out of the manor and away from the grounds.

Once they're far enough from populated areas, Genji stops and begins undressing. Zenyatta looks away, feigning privacy but really just worried that in his unsettled state he might stare too long. Only after the ripple of magic across his skin that signals the spirit's transformation does he look again, gathering Genji's borrowed clothing and tucking them into his bag.

_ "Ride me," _ Genji says in his beautifully resonant voice that echoes through Zenyatta's body like its own living thing. He lays on his stomach, one shoulder dipped for easy access, but Zenyatta hesitates.

"You have never offered before," he notes, surprised. "I was under the impression it was rather taboo."

_ "Not taboo. But no spirit in its right mind would let a human so close." _

"Then why...?"

_ "I can move faster than you, and I don't know what will happen when you cross into the spirit world. Humans are incapable of surviving the amount of magic in the air. If, somehow, you don't die on the spot ― which seems unlikely since that is where your quest leads ― I don't want to risk losing track of you." _

"Can you not take human form there?" Zenyatta asks curiously.

_ "I can, but it's harder to maintain, since I'm limiting my ability to channel magic. In the mortal realm, it doesn't matter, but in the spirit world, the moment I begin channeling magic for any proper spells, I revert to my true form." _

"And you trust me to ride you?" Zenyatta clarifies once more.

_ "I have any other choice?" _ There's a teasing note in Genji's voice and it warms him from the inside out.

"I see now that our month of travelling together means nothing to you," he teases back. Genji snorts in amusement.

_ "Mount me, monk," _ he commands.  _ "And be quick about it." _

Pointedly ignoring the innuendo that's only in his own mind, Zenyatta hauls himself up onto Genji's back, settling just behind his shoulders and taking large handfuls of cloud-soft black fur to keep himself seated.

_ "Loosen your grip," _ Genji advises.  _ "I will ensure you don't fall." _

"Are you sure?"

_ "Do you trust me?" _

"I have any other choice?" Zenyatta quips back, earning a sharp little bark of what he realises must be laughter.

_ "Trust in me, monk; I will not let you fall." _

Gingerly, Zenyatta releases his grip and lays his hands flat on Genji's back. When the spirit stands, he tenses and fights the urge to grab again, curling his fingers into fur. He doesn't fall, however, and the steady rhythmic sway of Genji's stride is even and soothing. After a few moments, he relaxes and enjoys the ride.

Very slowly, bit by bit, Genji picks up speed, letting him acclimate to the new tempo before going faster, until they're fairly flying over the terrain, the rest of the world a blur. Zenyatta forgets the anger and betrayal, forgets the unease and uncertainty; the world almost ceases to exist, reduced to the competition of warm sun versus chill breeze, the gentle rocking of Genji's long, loping stride...

He feels free.

The sun isn't far behind the horizon when Genji finally slows to a trot, and it takes Zenyatta a long time to recognise the forest. Only when he spots a big gnarled tree under the roots of which he spent a night does he recognise where they are.

"Oh my," he breathes, his voice echoing oddly past the blood pounding in his ears. "We are already nearly to your cave? The trip took us weeks."

_ "Spirits can move far faster than anything humans have made yet," _ Genji huffs, panting heavily.  _ "I am out of practice, but even if I wasn't, it would have been a hard run. You should see how fast my brother is capable of running." _

Zenyatta buries his hands in fur, not to hold ― he most certainly trusts Genji not to let him fall now ― just to scratch gently, and Genji lets out a sound something like a purr. They continue in similar quiet for the short remaining distance to the cave where they met. As they approach, another huge black fox appears in the mouth of the cave, swirls of blue magic circling it, with thin threads of bane that disperse when it sees them.

_ "Genji," _ the other fox greets them in Fae, surprised.  _ "You're already back?" _

It's still a shock to Zenyatta's system to hear spirits speaking in their native tongue and understand it without ever having learned it, but that's not something he dares to investigate too closely yet. Not until he knows more.

_ "Hello to you too, brother," _ Genji retorts in kind, amused.  _ "I ran." _

_ "Come in out of the open," _ Hanzo says in Common this time, gesturing with his muzzle for them to follow as he turns to go deeper into the cave.

A small fire is going in the deepest bowels of the cave, but most of the light and warmth comes from balls of pure magic trapped in special lanterns that hang in the air around the cavern. A sturdy man in his 30s or 40s stands from the fire, his old-fashioned clothes almost garish compared to the simple robes or elegant refinery Zenyatta is used to.

"Welcome back," the hunter greets with a wide grin. "I'd say 'home' but yer prob'ly sicka this place by now. Got some meat cookin' if yer hungry. Dunno if it's against yer vows or whatnot, but I didn't know you'd be comin' 'round, else I'da made somethin' else."

Zenyatta realises the last part was directed at him, and he smiles his appreciation, steadying himself while Genji crouches and shifts an arm for him to dismount. Once he's on the ground and his knees aren't threatening to give way, Genji shakes himself, his massive form shrinking down to human size. Hanzo, who already shifted and dressed, wordlessly hands him some clothes while Zenyatta bows his head to Jesse.

"Thank you for your consideration. I have no vows against meat, except human or spirit meat."

"Never understood cannibalism myself," Jesse scoffs, still grinning as he pulls a stick away from the fire and pokes at the carcass on it with a huge hunting knife. "Spirits make good eatin' though, if you can drain the magic outta them without ruinin' the juiciness."

Hanzo smacks him upside the head and takes the stick as he playfully whines about how much it hurt.

"He has never eaten spirit meat," Hanzo clarifies, plucking a small piece of meat from the carcass and tasting it before placing it back in close proximity to the fire.

"Now that's a whole ass lie, darlin'," Jesse laughs as Genji wordlessly coaxes Zenyatta to have a seat by the fire. "I ate the heart o' my first kill; had to prove I was a real hunter. Still got the scar for it, too." He tugs up his shirt and nudges his pants down a bit to point out a jagged mark across his hip. Then he points out another and explains how he got that one.

On and on he goes, regaling them with stories of his hunts and how he met Hanzo and how they fell in love, while Hanzo finishes cooking the meat and shares it around. He doesn't seem at all bothered by his husband's chattiness; he listens with quiet interest, even seeming to enjoy it, and Zenyatta marvels at how easy their relationship flows.

"Jesse spent over three hundred years listening but unable to talk," Genji murmurs to him at one point after the meal when Jesse finishes a story about his most embarrassing hunt and jumps straight into the first time he embarrassed himself in front of Hanzo. "He is undoubtedly making up for it."

"He seems happy," Zenyatta notes softly, watching Jesse throw his hands around, eyes alight and his entire body engaged in his storytelling. Hanzo simply watches him, content to let him ramble on without pause, and Zenyatta wonders if he ever gets frustrated. "So does Hanzo."

"They're in love," Genji shrugs. "They were married for almost ten years before Hanzo died."

"Do you regret the years you lost?" Zenyatta asks. "The years you could have found a partner for yourself?"

"I never really considered it," Genji shrugs. "I had a penance to pay, and I did."

"But now. Do you regret it looking back?"

"...A little, I suppose... but I deserved it."

"No one deserves to be without love."

"What of you?" Genji returns, clearly not ready to talk about it. "Even young as I think you are, humans mate young anyway, don't they?"

"That depends on how you define mating," Zenyatta says, trying not to smile. "It is true that many people tend to have sex at a young age, and it is not uncommon for people to marry young either, but humans tend to be a bit older to marry than to have sex."

"That's not what I'm asking," Genji scoffs, brow cocked. "Have  _ you _ mate- or, I suppose, had sex or been married?"

"No," Zenyatta allows the smile now. "I have... I have been otherwise occupied."

Genji hums knowingly, and then turns away, allowing him to keep his secrets.

Night falls quickly, and Jesse sends them all to sleep with the excuse that he's slept for three hundred years and doesn't need to just yet. Zenyatta is too tired to argue that, and apparently so are Genji and Hanzo, because no one speaks up, and everyone falls asleep quickly, waking around midday. Hanzo, being the first to wake, is gone by the time Zenyatta stirs, and Genji wakes when he gets up.

"He went huntin' in the spirit world," Jesse says when asked of Hanzo's whereabouts. "Y'all gonna stay long? We can have food ready in an hour or two."

"Up to Zen," Genji shrugs, glancing at him. Unprepared for the weight of the decision, Zenyatta falters, but his eagerness to learn of his past is a building pressure behind his chest, so he reluctantly shakes his head.

"We have business in the spirit world," he explains. Jesse's brows rise.

" _ You _ are goin' in the spirit world?"

"We have reason to believe the truth behind my power may lie in Genji's home."

"Well then. Best of luck, I guess," Jesse offers, surprised. "Er, Genji... Hanzo already went back, and there ain't much left. Said it weren't a problem, seein' as you both got ties here anyway; just figured you oughta know."

"Thank you," Genji nods, already stripping.

After he returns to his true form, he dips for Zenyatta to mount, and then steps toward a shimmer in the air; the veil that marks the boundary between the mortal realm and the spirit world. Another step, and another, and reality shifts. Genji turns around, circles the gate, and heads out of the cave, but not before Zenyatta feels the difference; where the world was once bone-chillingly cold, it's now hot, muggy, and charged like an electric storm is on the way.

It's almost suffocating, but in a way that makes Zenyatta's chest feel too small to take it all in. Like if he had bigger lungs, he would be so much more comfortable.

_ "Are you alright?" _ Genji asks as they near the entrance.

"I have not died yet, so I suppose I am going to be-" Zenyatta breaks off then as they step out of the cave and into the near blinding light of the outside world.

It's beautiful, in a way he never expected. Not only is it as though someone super-saturated the mortal realm and added new colours; not only do the animals here look happier and healthier, if a bit more wary; not only are spirits floating and darting and wheeling around all over the place; but Zenyatta takes one look and feels like he's coming home. The sense of nostalgia that sweeps over him is strong, emotional, and takes him completely by surprise.

_ "Zen?" _

"I- My apologies; I was not expecting-" Zenyatta clears his throat and shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the feeling of familiarity that he shouldn't have. "It looks so... familiar."

_ "It should; the spirit world and the mortal realm are identical in all but intelligent life. One allows for humans, the other for spirits." _

That's not what Zenyatta means, but he can't put his finger on it, so he nods and goes along with it.

"That must be it," he agrees. "Shall we to your home?"

_ "Three hundred years is a long time to be gone," _ Genji hums, starting forward and slowly picking up speed.  _ "I wonder just how much it's changed." _

The answer is, apparently, completely; after a half day's run, Genji slows to an easy trot, tensing more with every second, until he's more pacing than walking and his frustration is practically palpable.

"Genji?"

_ "They're gone," _ the spirit growls.

"...What are?" Zenyatta prompts when he doesn't explain.

_ "The guardian pedestals." _ Genji makes an irritable sound and stops, lowering himself for Zenyatta to dismount.  _ "There used to be fossilised dragon spirits here on stone pedestals. They were ancient spirits from long before my family line; they died, truly died, and their magic was so strong that instead of dispersing back into the world, they became fossils. Their residual magic wards off all but our lineage, and they're gone." _

"Stolen?" Zenyatta asks, wincing.

_ "I don't know... There's so many scents here now; I can't tell." _

"Perhaps someone else will know?"

_ "Perhaps..." _ Genji stares at a spot for a few seconds longer, and then starts walking without another word, leaving Zenyatta to follow or stay here alone. When he catches up to Genji's long slow strides, the fox sighs heavily, head hung low.

_ "I fear nothing will be left..." _ he mutters, a deep whine rolling up his throat.  _ "What will I do if it's gone? My home..." _

Zenyatta has no reassurance for him, no clever or witty thing to say that might cheer him up. It stings like vinegar on a paper cut, but all the way down to his soul, and that frustration brings a surge of bane to his fingers with alarming strength and speed. Genji notices and stops walking, shoulders tensing and ears flattening.

_ "What is it? Did you sense something?" _

"No, I- Bane is so powerful here," Zenyatta notes, staring at his hand in concern as he does his best not to let the chill overtake him. "Barely a thought and..."

Genji relaxes and shakes himself, shrinking down until he stands before Zenyatta at his level. Reaching out, the spirit takes his hand and holds it palm up. Purple veins are already creeping up his arm, fingertips darkened even without having used the bane, but Genji merely traces the lines with his own fingers, and just as with the glasses, the damage done by the bane is undone in an instant. Hot magic warms his skin, leaving tingling trails wherever Genji touches, and Zenyatta's face heats with a different kind of warmth entirely.

"You have such delicate hands," Genji says, startling him.

"What?"

"Your hands," Genji repeats, cradling it in his own and tracing his thumb along the side of Zenyatta's first finger. "So delicate compared to the strength I know you carry; the power inside you."

"One's physical form rarely indicates one's strength of will," Zenyatta points out. Genji laughs and gently curls his fingers back.

"That's true, but you are different."

"Different?" Zenyatta asks, heart fluttering in anticipation. Of what, he can't say.

"I felt it whe-"

A shriek interrupts, loud and nearby. Genji bursts into his full form in an instant, startling Zenyatta and making him stumble back. He lands on his backside as Genji lunges forward and stands over him, teeth bared.

_ "Who is that?" _ a wild voice cackles in Fae. Zenyatta can't pinpoint the direction of the voice when it seems to come from every direction at once, but Genji immediately faces the direction they were heading and hunches protectively over Zenyatta.  _ "Genji is alive? Where have you been for four hundred years? I've been lonely without you!" _

_ "You don't get to speak my name so easily, acheri," _ Genji growls. He's staring through trees into empty space; Zenyatta can't see what he sees. Even unable to spot the other spirit, however, he can absolutely feel the malevolence of it.

"What is it?" he dares to whisper.

_ "Oh come now," _ the other spirit snickers from its hiding place.  _ "Even after all this time, I don't register on your radar, oh mighty yoso?" _

_ "Why would a four-tail ever care about a no-tail?" _ Genji snarls back.

"No tail?"

_ "I'm hurt!" _ the other spirit croons piteously, and at last comes into view.

The creature is tall, lanky, and vaguely humanoid, but with only three limbs and one eye above an elongated mouth filled with jagged teeth at irregular intervals. Its sole upper limb juts out from its chest area, reaching out and pointing one sharp finger-like appendage toward Genji, who bristles and growls in warning.

_ "Ooh, what's that you have, yoso?" _ the spirit chirps excitedly. The bottom of Zenyatta's stomach drops out as he realises the spirit is interested in him.  _ "A tasty human morsel? And you're not going to share?" _

"Genji?" Zenyatta manages past the tight knot of fear in his throat. The other spirit's eye widens and it drifts closer.

_ "It's alive??" _ The delighted hunger in its voice makes Zenyatta's gut twist, heart lurching to his throat.

_ "He's mine!" _ Genji snaps possessively, hunching a little lower as his fur puffs out and the green wisps around him expand into full, hissing clouds.

_ "Give me just a nibble?" _ the other spirit begs, dropping to all three limbs and crawling forward like it can't help but approach.  _ "Just a leg? Or a lung? Ohh, I can practically taste its intestines!" _

Horror swells in Zenyatta's chest, and he doesn't spare even a moment's thought before gathering a surge of bane and blasting it directly at the spirit creeping closer in spite of Genji's snarls. A spear of violet lances through the air at it, crackling and sparking and chilling everything nearby. The spirit doesn't get a chance to move before the bane slams into its neck, just below its mouth. Scorch marks stretch along the spirit's neck and chest and up into its face, but for just a moment, Zenyatta isn't sure if that fazed it at all.

_ "YAAAOOOOOOO!! MY FACE! AHHH!!!" _ Stumbling back, the spirit shrieks and scrabbles at the ground, burrowing its face into the dirt as through trying to hide or put out a fire.

_ "Zen, cover your ears!" _ Genji snaps. Zenyatta obeys without hesitation, and Genji braces himself, wrapping all four tails around to make a wall between them and the other spirit.

_ "How dare you attack me, human filth!" _ the spirit keens. Zenyatta can't see it, can barely hear it, but there's no mistaking the wave of magic and bane that washes over and around Genji, parted and dispersed by his tails.

_ "Hit her again when I tell you," _ Genji growls, tensed and straining.  _ "Can you handle that?" _

"Yes!" Truthfully, Zenyatta doesn't know if he can handle another surge of bane like his first attack; at the moment he feels nothing, but his hands are freezing against his temples, and by the pounding of his heart beat through every fibre of his being, he's so high on adrenaline that he might push himself too far and be unable to recover when the adrenaline fades.

But Genji is trusting him. He can't fail.

The wave of magic and bane begins to thin, and Zenyatta immediately summons his own mix of the two powers, guiding the combination of hot and cold to his hands, which he thrusts out in front of him the moment Genji shifts and spreads his tails out of the way.

_ "NOW!" _ Genji orders, his flank bunching for a leap. With a burst of icy pain, Zenyatta unleashes another lance of bane at the still shrieking spirit, cycling the magic back through his arms to try and heal the damage done by the expulsion of bane.

The lance of bane pierces straight through the spirit's chest, just above its arm, and in the very next instant, Genji lunges, taking the distance between them too quickly for Zenyatta's human eyes to follow. His teeth sink into the other spirit's side, and his burning tail whips around to sweep the spirit's limbs out from under it so he can take it to the ground, pinning it.

A gurgle is all that escapes before the other spirit goes limp, but Genji doesn't release it. Adjusting his grip, he bites down harder and shakes his head ferociously until something audibly snaps. Only then does he relax and let the body fall, stepping back with a disgusted chuff.

_ "Are you al _ right, Zenyatta?" he asks, shaking away his spirit form and hurrying back to where Zenyatta sits blankly, trying to wrap his head around what just happened. Genji winces as he crouches beside Zenyatta, reaching for him. "Your hands... Let me-"

Jagged electricity bursts up Zenyatta's arm, making him cry out and jolt back. The pain is beginning to register now that the threat is gone and the high is fading. Genji grimaces, but doesn't try to touch him again.

"Lay down. Don't move." When he has, wincing and biting back a whimper at the pulse of burning cold through his hands and arms that matches his heart beat, Genji stands over him and holds out his own hands.

A breath passes, then two, and then the warmth begins. A gentle trickle at first, just a light dusting against Zenyatta's skin and clothes. Then a steady stream, a visible shower of golden heat that dances along Zenyatta's body and seeks out the veins of bane. The cold subsides, but the pain remains, however diminished; a persistent ache too deep in his bones for the magic to fully reach.

"Is that better?" Genji asks, worry in his eyes. "I could not risk overloading you; no human has ever survived their first steps in the spirit world so there is no precedent, no way to know what might kill you."

"I still ache," Zenyatta admits, choosing to stay on his back. "But it is no longer agony to move. Thank you."

A terse silence rises, and Genji bites his lip as he crouches. He's studying Zenyatta like he's seeing something new, like he doesn't know what to make of this strange human who can do what no other can.

"How did you...?" he begins, trailing off. His glance at the corpse further down the trail makes his question clear enough, and now Zenyatta sits up, turning his hands palm up in his lap and staring at pristine skin that still tickles with the ghosts of icy veins.

"I... am not sure," he says softly. "I have never unleashed a focused attack so powerful as that, and certainly not twice in such rapid succession. To try even once should have... should have killed me."

"Most spirits can't- or, I guess  _ don't _ attack with bane like that," Genji muses, dragging Zenyatta's bag closer to pull out his borrowed clothing and dress. "We tend to use magic or occasionally bane to strengthen our bodies and attack physically." He pauses, half-dressed with his shirt in his hands, and stares into the middle distance for a few short moments before hesitantly continuing. "I have heard... of greater spirits... We rank ourselves by the number of tails we have, a visible display of our power, with no-tails at the bottom, and five-tails at the top. The dragon spirits were the only exceptions to that rule; they flaunted only one tail, but were among the most powerful spirits to ever have existed."

"You have four," Zenyatta notes, still too shaken to care that he speaks the obvious.

"Hanzo and I are... rare," Genji frowns, tugging his shirt on and not looking at Zenyatta even after he sits crosslegged beside him. "When I was last here, three hundred years ago, our family was the last lineage of four-tails left. To my knowledge, there are only three five-tails left, and they haven't been seen in millennia, even back then. But..." He stops again, pursing his lips. Then he sighs. "The reason I bring this up is because there is a legend that I heard when I was a childling. I don't know how true it is, especially after hearing how much time twists reality when you told me your legend of the hunter. If it is true, at all, then somewhere out there-" he tips his head back and looks to the cloudless amethyst sky- "is a nine-tailed spirit. The only one in existence. I have heard theories that the nine-tail is a sort of phoenix, and can never be truly killed, or that when it dies, another nine-tail is born to replace it. Many have claimed to see it, but their accounts vary so much that it's impossible to know if any of them are real."

"And you think," Zenyatta grimaces, not sure how to feel about the connections he's making, "that my spirit parent might be the nine-tail?"

"Maybe?" Genji whispers, lifting his shoulders helplessly. "How else would you have the power to wield bane so easily, more easily than I or Hanzo ever have?"

"What if I am not even the child of a spirit?" Zenyatta asks. He isn't sure where the doubt and discouragement comes from, but now that he's spoken, he can't stop himself from wondering. "What if I am merely a strong conductor for magic and bane? I was taught that when humans are born near weak spots in the veil, it allows them to channel magic; the weaker the veil, the stronger the magic. Maybe, because my parents were attacked by a spirit, the veil was completely torn when I was born, and that made me strong enough to control bane. Strong enough to enter the spirit world without dying."

"...Is that what you want?" Genji asks quietly, watching him. "Are you afraid to be half-spirit?"

"No, I- I... I do not know."

"Well," Genji sighs, "we should rest then. Get some rest, Zen."

"Should we not try to get further before nightfall?" Zenyatta asks, glancing uneasily at the corpse of the other spirit.

"There is no such thing in the spirit world," Genji chuckles, leaning back on his hands. "The amount of magic in the air means it never gets dark. And if you're worried about other no-tails, we will be fine. That  _ acheri _ ― she's a spirit of disease and decay. She always stashes her stone somewhere on my family's land, but she's the only one stupid enough to try. I don't know how long the dragons have been gone, but now that Hanzo and I have both left our scents here again, only the most foolish no-tails would dare to risk the wrath of the four-tails by trespassing."

That should be reassuring, but Zenyatta can't shake the memory of the acheri's ravenous excitement over his presence in the spirit world. He can only hope that Genji's scent supersedes his own.

Keeping those misgivings to himself, he reluctantly allows himself a fitful sleep, coming awake wrapped in Genji's arms. He can't be sure how long has passed; Genji was right that the light never really changes. When he stirs, Genji tightens his grip just for a moment, and Zenyatta savours the guilty pleasure of his embrace.

The acheri's body is mostly dissolved, a mass of softly glowing magic and moss, and after a silent breakfast of rations from Zenyatta's bag, Genji returns to his true form and carries Zenyatta past the mound without a backward glance.

A short trot brings them to a wide open clearing surrounded by thick trees so tightly packed that even Zenyatta's slender frame would have trouble squeezing between them; the only apparent entrance is the one through which they entered. Even the canopy is interwoven like laced fingers, blocking out the light of the sky and creating an ambience of welcome seclusion.

Genji stops just inside the threshold of the clearing, bending for Zenyatta to dismount and shaking off his spirit form. His expression is relieved and contented, happy to be home again.

"Do you... feel anything?" he asks hopefully, waving away the clothes Zenyatta offers him.

"Should I?" Zenyatta frowns, resolutely keeping his gaze above the shoulder.

"I don't know," Genji shrugs. "Your mentor said we would find answers here. I thought- I  _ hoped _ you would know what to do."

"...May I share a secret?"

"Of course!"

"I rarely know what to do," Zenyatta admits, plucking at a hem of the clothes in his arms. "Things happen around me and I... react. I- I do not believe I am even truly capable of planning ahead."

"That's... incredible." He looks up, surprised, to find Genji staring at him in awe. "Thinking back, I see it, but I would never have guessed... You always seem so sure of yourself."

"Confidence is half the battle," Zenyatta grimaces ruefully. "The other half is acting."

"Then I suppose we will have to stay here until something happens." Genji shifts back to his true form and moves toward the back of the clearing.  _ "Come. I will show you my nest." _

"Your nest?" It's too intriguing an idea to pass up; Zenyatta is already trailing after him before he answers.

_ "My nest," _ Genji purrs, fur ruffling.  _ "I don't know if other spirits do this, but in my family, we each have our own nests, and we line our nests with things we find important." _

"Like the, erm, trophies you collected around the hunter?"

_ "Sort of," _ Genji chuckles, pausing and looking at him.  _ "Everything I did for three hundred years was in their honour ― Jesse and Hanzo. So every victory deserved recognition. I prefer... other trinkets." _

"Like what?"

_ "Come see." _

Zenyatta follows him to a corner in the back, noting the deep empty dips around the edges of the clearing and the stone outline of a creature ― perhaps a dragon? ― in the centre. The dip that Genji stops in front of also looks empty, until Genji chuffs at it, thin green wisps trailing off his muzzle and winding around the space. Ripples pull away, like a sheath of the veil, revealing a much less empty space.

"Oh no..."

The few intact artifacts remaining in the nest are old, much older than anything Zenyatta has seen around the temple but for the grounds themselves; everything is strewn about haphazardly, most items crushed, broken, or torn and scattered in what can only be purposeful desecration. When he hazards a glance up at Genji, the spirit is still, looking over the destruction with an inscrutable expression.

"Genji...?"

_ "...He was right," _ Genji says softly in Fae, obviously to himself.  _ "Almost nothing is left..." _

"I am so sorry, Genji."

_ "For what?" _ the spirit returns in Common, brushing it off.  _ "You have nothing to apologise for." _ Stepping into the nest, he sweeps the pieces and bits aside with his wooden tail, following up with water to clean the worn, moss-patched stone; cloud to dry the nest; and ember to warm it. Settling on his side, he lays his head on his paws, leaving a place for Zenyatta as usual, but says nothing else.

"Are you alright?" Zenyatta asks tentatively, worried by Genji's lack of reaction. The spirit looks up, his beautiful gaze empty of any recognisable emotion, and then closes his eyes.

_ "I will be." _

When he offers no other explanation, Zenyatta stifles a sigh and steps into the nest to take his place against Genji's side. Burrowing into silky fur, he settles in and does his best to meditate.

There's no telling how much time passes; the light of the sky rarely changes, never much, and with no pattern. It's no different than clouds passing in front of the sun. Genji seems to be sleeping, and Zenyatta refuses to bother him, allowing him to process things his own way.

The peaceful solitude lasts so long that when Genji speaks, his voice fills the clearing, a deep and familiar rumble that reverberates through Zenyatta's chest and only startles him with its suddenness.

_ "You have the eyes of a spirit," _ the spirit says without preamble.  _ "And an aura to match." _

"Pardon?" Zenyatta blinks, taken completely aback. Genji raises his head to look at him.

_ "When you use large amounts of magic or bane, your eyes glow like mine. The eyes of a spirit." _

"And... my aura?" Zenyatta frowns, disliking the twist in his gut that comes on the heels of a taunting idea wisping through his mind too quickly to pin down.

_ "Hanzo recognised it first, but the longer we spend in this world, the more I feel it too." _ Genji's triplet gaze is sharp, searching, and Zenyatta doesn't like that either.  _ "You are even more powerful than you have shown." _

"If I was, I would not have threatened life or at least limb to retaliate against the acheri who attacked us," Zenyatta points out, but there's no weight behind his words.

_ "You aren't used to being so powerful," _ Genji counters.  _ "You don't know how to control it yet, but that does not mean you don't have the power." _

"I am not," Zenyatta insists stubbornly. Genji lets out an irritated sounding chuff, ember tail flaring and sparking.

_ "Why are you so afraid of having spirit blood, Zen?" _ he demands.

"I am not afraid of having spirit blood."

_ "You seem intent on denying any solution I present." _

"I am not trying to..."

_ "But you do. Would it be such a terrible thing?" _

"Of course not!"

_ "Then why-" _

"I am afraid that I killed my parents!" Zenyatta snaps, unable to hold back any longer. Silence falls for a long, tense moment; long enough for Zenyatta to realise what he's said. Drawing in on himself, he takes a breath and does his best to explain, already bracing himself for Genji's judgment. "When you first suggested that I might be half-spirit, I was elated. It made sense, all those years of learning to keep my emotions in check for fear of unleashing my power on accident and hurting someone. It made sense, why Mondatta would send me on so strange a quest. The thought that I might have more heritage to explore and learn from... Then I saw what I was capable of, the true power I commanded. I realised how close I came to willingly allowing myself to be used as a weapon." The irony strikes him then, and he laughs bitterly. "A weapon... With a little training, I could perhaps have killed the acheri myself.

"It is becoming more and more apparent that the truth we have been sent here to discover is not a pleasant one, and I fear..."

_ "You are afraid that you are the spirit who attacked the couple," _ Genji says softly, speaking the words Zenyatta cannot.

His lack of answer must be enough, because Genji stands abruptly, and Zenyatta nearly falls over. He steels himself for the scorn or even fear he's sure will come, but Genji merely shakes away his fur and kneels in human form beside Zenyatta, drawing him into an embrace so tight he almost struggles to breathe.

"I know how it feels to bear the knowledge of death," Genji murmurs, breath warm against his ear. "I will never judge you for blood on your hands, Zenyatta. Never."

Before he can truly process those words, Genji withdraws and tips his chin up, placing a gentle kiss on his lips so soft that Zenyatta would have thought he imagined it but for the way Genji lingers like he wants more.

"Genji...?" A flush rises at the desire he can't quite hide, but Genji only relaxes, smiles, and kisses him again, firmly this time, and deepening.

His touch is slow, gentle, guiding Zenyatta through a process he never thought he'd experience, and the culmination is hot and blinding and leaves him breathless and limp. Even Genji can't seem to move for a while, draped lazily across Zenyatta's chest and purring even in his human form, a sound Zenyatta didn't know foxes could make in the first place.

When he can finally form a coherent thought again, he does his best to remember every detail, equal parts delighted and embarrassed by every sound they made, every touch of skin, every sinful feeling...

_ "GENJI!" _

They both jolt upright, the pleasant afterglow vanishing beneath startled fear as vivid blue fog creeps into the clearing. Zenyatta is reaching for his clothes and Genji is in the process of lunging upright into his true form when Hanzo enters the clearing, his magic swirling around him and his teeth bared viciously. His gaze lands on Zenyatta, who goes still with terror, and he snarls loudly.

_ "Genji, get away from him!" _ he barks in Fae.

_ "Hanzo? What's wrong?" _ Genji scowls in kind, shifting slightly between his brother and Zenyatta.

_ "You don't feel it?" _ Hanzo sneers.  _ "You don't smell his scent?" _ Genji's nose twitches, but he doesn't move, and from this position, Zenyatta can't even begin to guess at his expression. Hanzo paws impatiently at the ground.  _ "I scented him all the way at the gate! I knew something was wrong... If I had known you were going to bring him here, I would have stopped you!" _

"What...?"

_ "What are you talking about?" _ Genji growls in a way that makes Zenyatta's heart lurch with fear.

_ "You really haven't figured it out?" _ Hanzo lowers his head, tails swishing fiercely behind him, fangs bared and growling deep in his chest.  _ "That man is no man at all. I had my doubts when I met him, but my focus was on Jesse. I should have seen it sooner... Now his scent is unmistakable." _

_ "Hanzo, you're making no sense-" _

_ "He's Huli Jing!" _ Hanzo snaps, taking a threatening step closer.  _ "He's the nine-tail!" _

Zenyatta stares, completely and utterly stunned. Unease grips his chest when Genji's ears tip back and the spirit glances in his direction, shifting ever so subtly away from him. There's a tension in his massive body far too unlike the protectiveness it held mere moments before, and Zenyatta fears he knows more about this... Huli Jing than he mentioned before.

"Genji?" he tries carefully, hoping the spirits don't see the slight tremble of his hands gripping his clothing to his chest. The unease grows the longer it takes for Genji to respond.

_ "How do you know?" _ Genji asks finally, the low, cautious rumble of his voice worryingly neutral.

_ "You don't remember?" _ Hanzo growls, pawing impatiently at the ground.  _ "The reason the dragons were placed here in the first place? To guard our lands from Huli Jing." _

_ "The dragons were to guard us from all dangers..." _ Genji begins, but his tone is flat, reciting from memory and without the force of belief.

_ "The greatest of which is Huli Jing!" _ Hanzo cuts in sharply.  _ "You  _ _ know _ _ the stories, Genji; what that monster is capable of." _

"Monster?" Zenyatta echoes softly, the bottom of his stomach dropping out completely.

_ "How do you  _ _ know _ _ he's Huli Jing?" _ Genji pushes, either not hearing him or, more likely, ignoring him. Hanzo raises his head, staring hard at his brother for a long, long time.

_ "You really, truly don't remember, do you?" _ It's less a question and more a statement of fact, and the undertone of disgust and disappointment stings even Zenyatta, who's struggling to feel anything more than a growing sense of despair.

_ "Remember what?" _

_ "Mother." _

The guarded tension in Genji's flank vanishes with shock, and for the barest of moments, Zenyatta feels the fleeting desire to embrace him, sympathetic to shared loss. Then it's gone, replaced with sudden realisation and utter horror.

"Genji... What- What happened to your mother?" he asks quietly, bracing himself for the answer he doesn't want to hear but knows is coming.

_ "...She was lured away," _ Hanzo rumbles in Common when Genji doesn't reply.  _ "Tricked into believing we were in danger, and tormented for decades in the wildlands with visions of our torture and death. By the time we found her, it was too late; she could not believe we were alive and well, and she begged for death. True, ultimate death. Our father shattered her stone himself, and spent the rest of his life taking out his heartbreak on us." _

"And..." The words are bitter on Zenyatta's tongue, the precursor to a truth even worse than he could ever have imagined. "...Huli Jing?"

_ "Is the one responsible," _ Hanzo hisses.  _ "A heartless  _ _ beast _ _ who cares only for the mischief and trouble it can stir.  _ _ You _ _ killed our mother, and I will not let you kill my brother too!" _

Breathing is nearly impossible; Zenyatta's heart is lodged in his throat, and he looks to Genji, desperate for any argument, any dissuasion whatsoever. The uncertainty in the spirit's gaze is a punch in the gut, and he feels abruptly lightheaded.

"Genji?" His voice sounds distant and weak even to his own ears, the words escaping unbidden. "I- I am not..."

_ "A spirit in human form?" _ Genji finishes quietly, somber.  _ "We both know you are too powerful to be merely human." _

"I would never-" Zenyatta stops himself, his own words coming back to him.

_ "Kill?" _ Genji must follow the same line of thought.  _ "Attack a human couple on the road?" _

"How could I have-? And not remember...?" The world is spinning. Waves of cold and hot swirl through him and some tiny part of his mind registers the familiar sensations of bane and magic gathering at his fingertips.

_ "Get away from him, Genji," _ Hanzo commands again, even his resonant spirit voice sounding very far away; competing with the pounding of a heartbeat in Zenyatta's ears.

_ "Is it true?" _ Genji asks, only barely more audible.

"I-I do not know..." Zenyatta whimpers. "I remember only living as a human. How can I be anything else?"

_ "He lies!" _ Hanzo snarls.

"Genji, please..." He's begging now, and the burn behind his eyes speaks of tears as well. "I am not a killer. I- You said you would not judge me for the blood on my hands. You held me. Does that mean nothing?"

_ "Genji," _ Hanzo breathes, sounding strangely horrified.  _ "Did you... mate with him?" _

Genji doesn't answer either of them, and something in Zenyatta shatters, like a glass squeezed too tightly. All of the bane and magic swirling around him compresses down into the centre of his chest, a tiny ball of promised chaos, and for just a moment, the clearing is eerily silent.

Then, just as the ball threatens to explode and annihilate everything nearby, a soft voice, resounding in the quiet.

_ "How I choose to react will define who you become," _ Genji says, expression inscrutable as he looks at Zenyatta.  _ "This is your truth, Zen. Your past, what Mondatta sent us here to learn, is the nine-tail. You were Huli Jing. You are Tekhartha Zenyatta. But who you will be from now on... depends on me. If I choose to accept you as you are... If I choose to reject you for who you were..." _

Dread settles in Zenyatta's chest with the dawning realisation of Genji's predicament; he is being forced to forgive his mother's murderer or else risk unleashing that same murderer back on the world.

"No," Zenyatta blurts without thought. A noticeable frown furrows Genji's features, but he continues before either spirit can speak, scrambling to his feet and haphazardly gathering his bag and clothes. "No, I will not. It is not your choice; I will not make you choose. This is not your burden to bear; this is my history, my mistakes, my fault. No matter what Mondatta said, it is not on you to be forced into this decision. Whatever I have done, whatever pain and misfortune I have caused, I will pay the price; you have suffered long enough already."

_ "You will indeed pay the price," _ Hanzo growls, stepping into his path when he tries to flee.  _ "By my teeth." _ The ball in Zenyatta's chest tightens, on the verge of snapping, and he jerks back, fear rising as he stumbles in his effort to put distance between them before the chaos breaks loose.

_ "Don't touch him!" _ Both go still in surprise, and Genji appears between them, ears pinned back and baring his fangs... at Hanzo.  _ "Stay away from my mate!" _

_ "Genji-" _

_ "I made my choice!" _ Genji interjects, stepping toward Hanzo, who steps back. Zenyatta stares blankly, disbelieving.  _ "It's true, I wavered when I learned the truth; I wondered if I made the right choice. But my heart already knew; I loved him, and I love him still. Whatever he has done in the past, that is not who he is now. If you would hold him accountable for that, then hold me accountable for your death, and Jesse's sleep. That was my fault, just as what happened to Mother is his fault. We have changed, Hanzo; accept that, or leave us." _

"Genji..." Even if Zenyatta could find the words to express his tumbling emotions, his tongue fails him when Genji shakes away his fur and stands with his arms outstretched protectively.

He chose Zenyatta. It finally clicks, and the ball of bane and magic in Zenyatta's chest dissipates in a harmless instant; Genji chose to side with him, chose vulnerability over vengeance, chose forgiveness over closure.

_ "...I see," _ Hanzo says after a long, tense moment. He looks as though he has more to say, but he simply shakes his head and turns away. Without another word or a backward glance, he leaves.

Clothing falls to the ground as Zenyatta lunges forward and throws his arms around Genji, pressing tight against his back and clinging like his life depends on it. When Genji's knees buckle, Zenyatta crumples with him, and they sit trembling in silence until Zenyatta's stomach growls with hunger, drawing a shaky laugh from Genji.

"That was..." He shakes himself, taking a deep breath and letting it out as he turns, gripping Zenyatta's arm. "You need food; we should eat and prepare to return."

"Must we?" Zenyatta wasn't aware it was even a thought until he spoke, but now he recognises his own fear and hesitates to explain.

"You are afraid of facing my brother again?" Genji asks keenly, reaching up to caress his cheek far more tenderly than he deserves. "We do not have to use the gate; we can find a thin spot in the veil."

"Must we return at all?" Then, in a rush, "We could stay; you could teach me to better control my power. I truly do not recall anything beyond my human life; if I am the nine-tail, I may one day remember my past, and I..."

"We will deal with that when it comes," Genji assures firmly. "But first, we should talk with your mentor. Then, if you wish, we can come back, and I will do my best to help you."

Swallowing his unease, Zenyatta nods, and together they dress and gather their things. Genji remains in human form to hunt, and after they've eaten, he seeks out a thin spot of the veil, tearing it open himself. Then, just as they did mere weeks ago, they journey south to Lord Akande's lands.

Everything is so much the same and yet somehow vastly different, and Zenyatta feels strangely lost, like he no longer belongs in the places where he grew up. The faces that he once knew so intimately feel foreign now, and he wonders how quickly all the smiles and greetings would turn to fear and screams if they knew the truth.

They catch Mondatta on his way to meet with Lord Akande; his thoughtful expression dims when he sees them, and before either can say a word, he holds up a staying hand.

"I know you have questions," he says, glancing at the entrance to the Lord's manor, "but I am needed for a vital meeting-"

"Am I Huli Jing?" Zenyatta demands, unable to wait a moment longer. Mondatta hesitates, his features clouding over, and that's answer enough. "Why did you not tell me?" Genji slips his hand comfortingly into Zenyatta's as Mondatta glances again at the entrance, jaw clenched.

"My dear child," he sighs heavily. "Would you have believed me?"

"I was never human."

"You were," Mondatta counters. "You still are. The story of your birth is true; it only lacks details. Twenty years ago, you ― the nine-tailed spirit ― approached a travelling couple under the guise of a helpless young woman and attempted to seduce the husband away from his wife so you could consume their souls separately. I saw through your ruse and warned the husband, who tried to chase you off. Angered, you attacked them, and us; we were not powerful enough to banish you back to the spirit world, and in the fight, the woman was injured, forced into early labour. The only way to save the child, and the only way to defeat you, was to meld your souls into one. With your human parents gone, no one else wanted anything to do with you; they feared binding you to the child's soul would not be enough. I took it upon myself to raise you, to show you what humanity is capable of. I knew one day you would learn the truth, and I could only hope that when you did, your time as a human would have shown you how to be better."

"So..." Genji speaks where Zenyatta can't. "He is human? Fully human?"

"And fully spirit," Mondatta nods. "One and the same."

"And he will live and die as a human?"

"As far as I know, yes. I can only assume that when he dies, he will shed his humanity along with his mortality and return to being spirit, as you are."

"I will be a killer again?" Zenyatta breathes, terror welling up. Mondatta grimaces.

"I certainly hope not. But I suppose that is entirely up to you. Please; I will be happy to answer all of your questions later, but I must go. Zenyatta..." Reaching out, he takes Zenyatta's hand between his own, gripping tightly. "My child. I cannot apologise enough for keeping the truth from you, and I will not ask forgiveness I do not deserve, but know this: everything I have done, I have done for you. I love you dearly, and I would not trade these twenty years for anything. Whatever else you may be, you are my son, and you always will be." He kisses Zenyatta's forehead, and then hurries away to meet with Lord Akande.

"So," Genji hums, threading his fingers between Zenyatta's and smiling lightly at him. "What will it be, my love? Are we staying here, or returning to the spirit world?"

Zenyatta stares up at the elegant facade of the manor, a sight so familiar that he can recall every detail from memory. This place is nearly as much home as the monastery, and although recent events have painted it in a new light, he still feels a tug of nostalgia at the sight of it.

Perhaps he will eventually remember his past as Huli Jing, and perhaps it will even change his opinion on everything, but for now, this is home, and he has the rest of this life.

"Wherever you want to go," he says, hope blossoming into the first smile in a long time, "I will happily follow. My roots are here, but my branches have plenty of room to grow."


End file.
